Defendant, family members apologize to victim’s family

“I should be celebrating his birthday, but instead I’m up here defending him because some (expletive) decided to kill him,” the brother of Stephen Harrison Bane told a jury Thursday.

Tony Bane was testifying on behalf of Stephen Bane’s family during the sentencing of Matthew Ernest Arnold, who was convicted of Bane’s murder. Thursday would have been Stephen Bane’s 52nd birthday.

Tears were flowing from family members on both sides of the case — as well as the defendant and at least one member of the jury — as the prosecution and defense presented evidence in the sentencing phase of Arnold’s trial.

Arnold and members of his family also apologized to the Bane family for their loss and grief.

“There’s no reason for him to be dead today,” Tony Bane said of his brother. “He didn’t do anything to those boys.” To make matters worse, he said, “no one has even given any reason” for his brother’s killing. “Even when I leave today, I’m still not going to know who did what and why.”